Notes & Theories + Brian Cox | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog+brian-cox
Indexen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:35:02 GMT2016-12-09T15:35:02Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
Brian Cox's Human Universe presents a fatally flawed view of evolutionhttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2014/oct/14/brian-coxs-human-universe-presents-a-fatally-flawed-view-of-evolution
<p>Humans do not stand at the top of a ladder of creation, above the apes and below the angels, superior to all other species </p><p>When I watched the first episode of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0276pc3/human-universe-1-apeman-spaceman">Human Universe</a>, a televisual emission on the BBC presented by the ever-lovely Professor Brian Cox, I held my breath. I am usually allergic to tales of The Ascent of Man, but I thought – and hoped – that we’d outgrown the idea of evolution as a linear narrative leading from archaea to astronauts. </p><p>So I exhaled markedly about halfway through when he lined up several skulls of antique varieties of human in order of increasing brain size, and then posited climate change as the driver for each observed increase in size. To be sure, Cox didn’t actually say that one skull was definitively ancestral to the next, but there was a definite sense of post-hoc-ery going on, as human beings adapted to each new environment by expanding their brains, rather than (say) expanding their livers, or going somewhere else, or becoming extinct.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2014/oct/14/brian-coxs-human-universe-presents-a-fatally-flawed-view-of-evolution">Continue reading...</a>AnthropologyEvolutionScienceBrian CoxAstronomyBiologySpaceTue, 14 Oct 2014 06:00:18 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2014/oct/14/brian-coxs-human-universe-presents-a-fatally-flawed-view-of-evolutionPhotograph: BBCBrian Cox in The Human Universe. BBCPhotograph: BBCBrian Cox in The Human Universe. BBCHenry Gee2014-10-14T06:00:18ZScience and politics need counselling, not a separation | Jack Stilgoehttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2012/dec/21/science-policy-brian-cox
Brian Cox and Robin Ince say they're fighting for the status of science, but they're picking the wrong fight<p>A <a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/sci-tech/sci-tech/2012/12/brian-cox-and-robin-ince-politicians-must-not-elevate-mere-opinion-over-sc" title="">piece by Brian Cox and Robin Ince</a> in the New Statesman has excited that corner of the Twittersphere concerned with things scientific. Their argument is that, because science has been twisted and undermined by politicians, there needs to be clearer separation between scientific truths and political values.</p><p>I think it's worth spending some time thinking about what's going on here. As corroborative evidence, I'd also like to submit Royal Society president <a href="http://royalsociety.org/uploadedFiles/Royal_Society_Content/about-us/history/anniversary/2012-11-30_Anniversary%20Address.pdf" title="">Paul Nurse's recent anniversary address</a> (pdf).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2012/dec/21/science-policy-brian-cox">Continue reading...</a>Science policyPoliticsScienceBrian CoxFri, 21 Dec 2012 17:19:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2012/dec/21/science-policy-brian-coxPhotograph: Pa/PACox and Ince want 'a place where science stops and politics begins'. Photograph: PAPhotograph: Pa/PACox and Ince want 'a place where science stops and politics begins'. Photograph: PAJack Stilgoe2012-12-21T17:19:06ZHow YouTube is popularising sciencehttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/may/17/youtube-popularising-science
Brian Cox is brilliant for science popularity, but TV is not the only means to communicate science. <strong>James Grime</strong> explains how small videos are making a big difference to the reach of science<p>I have been recognised four times now. Four times! I knew you would be impressed. And what has brought me such notoriety? Is it my fancy suits, my outrageous tabloid lifestyle, or is it my world famous impression of a teapot? No. I make videos about maths on YouTube.</p><p>I am one of a growing number of science communicators on YouTube, and I know many readers could be doing the same. If there is a subject you're passionate about, whatever it is, I want to invite you to join us. In the meantime, here is a favourite video of mine about a surprising mathematical game called non-transitive dice.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/may/17/youtube-popularising-science">Continue reading...</a>ScienceBrian CoxYouTubeTechnologyScienceEducationTue, 17 May 2011 11:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/may/17/youtube-popularising-scienceJames Grime2011-05-17T11:30:00ZScience Weekly podcast: Julian Baggini on 'the self'; plus, how love can save the environmenthttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2011/apr/04/science-weekly-podcast-julian-baggini
We attempt to explain 'the self' with Julian Baggini; Tim Flannery tells us how love can save the environment; Brian Cox answers the 'Hannaford question'; plus, fighting fire with electricity and cell transplants for nuclear workers<p>It has baffled great minds for hundreds of years, so an ambitious question to tackle in just one segment of one podcast ... but we have given it a bash anyway: the concept of 'the self'. </p><p><strong><a href="http://julianbaggini.blogspot.com/">Julian Baggini</a></strong> takes us through the latest thinking in neuropsychology on what it means to be "me". He interviewed the likes of <strong><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/jun/10/artsfeatures.science">Paul Broks</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dennett">Daniel Dennett</a></strong> for his new book <a href="http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?ISBN=9781847081926">The Ego Trick</a>. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2011/apr/04/science-weekly-podcast-julian-baggini">Continue reading...</a>NeurosciencePsychologyScienceTechnologyEnvironmentTim FlanneryJapan disasterJapanBrian CoxNuclear powerDeforestationClimate changeClimate changeAsia PacificSun, 03 Apr 2011 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2011/apr/04/science-weekly-podcast-julian-bagginiPhotograph: Bbs United/Getty ImagesA human brain. Photograph: Bbs United/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Bbs United/Getty ImagesA human brain. Photograph: Bbs United/Getty ImagesPresented by Alok Jha and produced by Andy Duckworth2011-04-03T23:01:00ZScience Weekly podcast: Mathematics special + Brian Cox = science squaredhttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2011/mar/28/science-weekly-podcast-mathematics-special-brian-cox
Bowing to popular demand, here's our mathematical special. No calculators allowed. As an added bonus, physicist and star of the small screen <strong>Brian Cox</strong> dropped by<p>Welcome to our mathematics special.</p><p><strong><a href="http://richardelwes.co.uk/">Richard Elwes</a></strong> is a writer, teacher, mathematician and visiting fellow at the University of Leeds. He knows a thing or two about model theory. In case you were wondering, his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erd%C5%91s_number">Erdős number</a> is 3.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2011/mar/28/science-weekly-podcast-mathematics-special-brian-cox">Continue reading...</a>MathematicsScienceMathematicsBrian CoxSun, 27 Mar 2011 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2011/mar/28/science-weekly-podcast-mathematics-special-brian-coxPhotograph: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty ImagesHand erasing equations on blackboard
Maths, Mathematics Photograph: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty ImagesHand erasing equations on blackboard
Maths, Mathematics Photograph: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty ImagesPresented by Alok Jha and produced by Andy Duckworth2011-03-27T23:01:00ZBrian Cox digested: A summary of Thursday's live Q&A sessionhttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/mar/25/brian-cox-summary-live-session
On Thursday, the physicist and presenter of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zdhtg">Wonders of the Universe</a> fielded <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/24/brian-cox-wonders-universe">questions and comments from readers</a>. There were more than 700, so here's a roundup of all Brian's answers<p><strong>1:07pm</strong><br>Hello. Finally arrived, with a slight hangover :)</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/mar/25/brian-cox-summary-live-session">Continue reading...</a>Brian CoxAstronomySpaceCernPhysicsParticle physicsTelevisionTelevision & radioScienceCultureScience and nature TVFri, 25 Mar 2011 17:58:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/mar/25/brian-cox-summary-live-sessionPhotograph: Linda Nylind/GuardianCern physicist and former D:Ream keyboard player Brian Cox. Photograph: Linda Nylind/GuardianPhotograph: Linda Nylind/GuardianCern physicist and former D:Ream keyboard player Brian Cox. Photograph: Linda Nylind/GuardianBrian Cox2011-03-25T17:58:00ZScience Weekly podcast: Rockstar physicist Brian Cox; the Flat Earth Society; and Lord Robert Winstonhttps://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2010/mar/01/science-weekly-podcast-brian-cox
<strong>Nell Boase</strong> and the team chat to <strong>Brian Cox</strong> about his new TV series and the latest developments at the LHC; we learn why the Flat Earth Society raises genuine questions for science; breaking news from the AAAS; and Lord Robert Winston on anticipating the dangers of new technology<p>We are privileged to have in the studio the man who dislikes being known as the rockstar physicist. <strong>Professor Brian Cox</strong> introduces his new BBC TV series <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qyxfb">Wonders of the Solar System</a> in which he uses locations on Earth to describe how the laws of nature work across the solar system.</p><p>The particle physicist also updates us on <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/feb/28/large-hadron-collider-restarts">the new phase of experiments that are about to begin at the Large Hadron Collider at Cern</a>. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2010/mar/01/science-weekly-podcast-brian-cox">Continue reading...</a>ScienceEnvironmentTechnologyPhysicsParticle physicsAAASRobert WinstonCernBBCMedicineClimate changeClimate change scepticismEthicsGeoengineeringBrian CoxMon, 01 Mar 2010 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/audio/2010/mar/01/science-weekly-podcast-brian-coxPhotograph: APThe main bodies of the solar system Photograph: APPhotograph: APThe main bodies of the solar system Photograph: APPresented by Nell Boase and produced by Andy Duckworth2010-03-01T00:01:00Z